West African Recipes
5 recipes
West African Peanut Stew
Groundnut stew of tomato, peanut butter, sweet potato, and collard greens, simmered until it is thick enough to mound on a spoon. A whole habanero adds perfume without much heat.
Puff Puff
West African fried dough made from a loose yeasted batter left to bubble, then dropped into hot oil in rough spoonfuls that puff into round, chewy, faintly nutmeg-scented balls.
Jollof Rice with Chicken
Long-grain rice cooked down in a blended base of red pepper, tomato, and Scotch bonnet with browned chicken on top, steamed until the grains separate and the bottom layer takes on a smoky edge.
Fried Sweet Plantains
Blackened-ripe plantains cut on a long bias and shallow-fried until the sugars caramelize into dark lacy edges around a custardy center. Salt and cayenne go on while they are still hot.
Akara Black-Eyed Pea Fritters
West African fritters of black-eyed peas soaked and skinned, blended to a smooth paste and beaten until light, then spooned into hot oil so they puff crisp outside and stay fluffy within.